1Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and he brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. 2[There], he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. 3And behold, Moses and Elias appeared to them, talking with him.
4Peter then said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here! If you want, let us233 make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.”
5While Peter was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
6When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were very afraid. 7Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone. 9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus gave them this order: “Do not tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen again from the dead.”
10His disciples asked him, “Why then is it that the scribes say that Elias must come first?”
11Jesus answered them, “Elias indeed is coming first,234 and he will restore235 all things. 12But I tell you that Elias has already come, and they did not recognize him. Instead, they did to him whatever they wanted to. Likewise, the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking about John the Baptist.
The healing of a possessed boy
14When they came to the crowd, a man came to Jesus.236 He knelt down before him and said: 15”Lord, have mercy on my son! He is epileptic237 and suffers terribly as he often falls into the fire and into the water. 16And so, I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How long must I bear with you? Bring him to me.” 18When Jesus rebuked it, the demon went out of the boy and he was cured from that hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why were we not able to cast it out?”
20Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief!238 Amen, I tell you that if you have faith [even] like a grain of mustard, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you! 21<But this kind [of spirit] does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”239>
The passion announced again—The payment of the temple tax
22While they were staying240 in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and the third day, he will be raised up.”
They were extremely distressed. 24When they arrived in Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax241 came to Peter, and said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25He replied, “Yes {he does}.”
When he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from foreigners?”242
26Peter replied, “From strangers!”
Jesus said to him, “Therefore, the children are exempt. 27But in order not to cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin.243 Take it, and give it to them for me and you.”
Like a child—Greatest in the Kingdom—Causing little ones to sin
- Or “we will,” but CT (א, B) reads “I will”
- CT omits “first”
- Compare Sirach 48:10
- Greek “him”
- Literally “moonstruck” or “lunatic”
- CT reads “little faith” which has good manuscript support
- CT omits this verse
- CT reads “gathering together”
- A didrachma is a Greek silver coin worth 2 drachmas, about as much as 2 Roman denarii, or about 2 days’ wages. It was commonly used to pay the half-shekel temple tax, because 2 drachmas were worth one half shekel of silver.
- Or “strangers”
- A stater is a silver coin equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel: just exactly enough to cover the half-shekel temple tax for two people.
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
